An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has sentenced a Lagos Bishop, Oluwafeyiropo Daniels, simply called Feyi Daniels, to life imprisonment for raping his 23-year-old female assistant and worshipper (name withheld).
The Bishop, who took to the witness box in his own defence, testified that he believed three out of the four women who accused him of sexually assaulting them conspired to turn against him.
Under cross-examination, the prosecution’s lead counsel, Babajide Boye, sought to establish that the defendant, Bishop Daniels, had a ‘personal relationship’ with the four women.
Boye alleged that the defendant had counseled one of the women, given the amount of N100,000 to another for hospital treatment, paid school fees for a third, and related with a fourth as a leader in the campus fellowship affiliated with his ministry at Akungba-Akoko in Ondo State.
The Bishop denied giving money to one of the women for treatment. He said: “I believe all three ladies turned against me, but not (name withheld) because she later apologised to me.”
Justice Rahman Oshodi sentenced Daniels, the Bishop of I Reign Christian Ministry, Lagos, to three years in prison for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old member of the church as stated in count three of the four-count charge.
He held that the prosecution established the ingredients of the two offences charged and that the cleric should spend the rest of his life at the Kirikiri custodial facility in Lagos.
According to him, Feyi Daniels is a liar and does not have any regard for truth.
The judge, however, discharged and acquitted him on count two of the charge, which is the rape of another member of the church (name withheld).
Oshodi held that there was an element of consent from the church member.
The judge also discharged and acquitted Daniels on count four of the charge, which is attempted rape of a member of the church.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Daniels faced an amended four-count charge bordering on rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault.
Rape contravenes Section 260(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.